kc wolf

Last night’s 4-3 overtime win at Detroit notwithstanding, the Blues have been enduring a tough stretch lately. And not every defeat has taken place on the ice. Earlier this week their mascot, Louie, lost his bid to be crowned “Most Awesome Mascot” at the Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards ceremony.

Louie hasn’t spoken with the media since the Monday ceremony, but did agree to a phone interview with JoeSportsFan to talk about the disappointing news. Louie and JSF have collaborated on several projects in the past, and have developed a stable, if not solid, working relationship. Which is probably why he was a little more candid with us than he is in most interviews.

“It’s tough. Real tough,” he said, in a noticeably dejected tone. “At first, I was just thrilled to be nominated. After a while though, that competitive instinct kicks in. You know, that inner drive that got you to where you are in the first place, and you start thinking to yourself, ‘Hey, I can really win this thing.’”

“But, at least that (expletive) wolf didn’t win,” Louie said, referring to K.C. Wolf, mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs and fellow nominee. “What a prima donna. God, I hate that guy. He’s such an asshole.”

“We (the mascot community) would have never heard the end of it. And he wouldn’t have exactly been the best ambassador for the award, if you know what I mean.”

Louie then made what could most likely be interpreted as a “glug-glug” style drinking motion.

Rocky the Mountain Lion, mascot for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, took home the honor. Rocky was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2008.

“Great guy,” Louie said. “Fresh breath. Nice teeth. Snappy dresser. A real class act. There’s no shame in losing to him. He’s one of the best in the business. A real pro.”

“We go way back, all the way to the beginning. We both got our start in this business doing openings for new Great Clips locations. Those were good times.“

“I’d never met Lou before, so I don’t really know him that well,” admitted Louie. “But Fredbird got pretty acquainted with him last October, and has nothing but good to say about him. Apparently the guy eats sushi like there’s no tomorrow.”

Exit polls showed that Louie received high marks from Hall of Game Awards voters on important issues such as dance moves and general zaniness. However, it’s possible he was hurt by his controversial stance on gun control, a hot-button topic of late.

“It’s our (expletive) constitutional right,” Louie remarked. “I own a gun. Of course, it’s loaded with T-shirts, but the real reason it’s never hurt anyone – and never will – is because I’ve been trained to use it properly.”

Exit polls also revealed that voters saw Rocky as more of a flip-flopper, which is actually a good quality for a mascot.